What: Last VIR Event of the Year for NASA
Road Course Racing, HPDE, TT, and the first NASA TREC Endurance Race

Where: VIRginia International Raceway

When: 10/25-10/27

I'll be there working Thursday-Sunday and I'll be doing DE 3.

Information: http://nasaracing.net/october-25-27-2019-vir/

Registration: https://nasaproracing.com/events/2983

http://hyper-fest.com/

Hyperfest is the ultimate motorsports destination and this year it's at VIR on May 15th, 16th and 17th. NASA Road racing, Drifting, Lawn Mower Racing, Burnout contests, RallyCross, Bike racing, car shows and much more! This weekend is the weekend most of us anticipate all year and there is NO reason not to make out. Hotels are on site and nearby, but the best action is camping out with everyone either in the camping area or the NASA paddock if you're lucky enough. DO NOT MISS THIS EVENT!







Who is going? Who is working?


Working Full Time:



Working Part time:

Helpers:


Camping (Only need the name of the person with the tent):


Attending (Other):


Camping/Parking 

1) Unless you have a NASA pass, you're parking in the big Field outside the NASA paddock. (To your right after crossing the bridge)

2) Camping is technically only in the camping areas outside the paddock (think the areas on the road before you pass the pond on your left and stop at the stop sign in the paddock near the gas station). A camping pass is required

3)We usually get away with non workers camping by the showers in the NASA paddock without a camping pass, but you'll need to park outside the paddock (see 1)

4) since you can't park in the paddock without working, it's safe to assume you'd be sleeping in your car in the lot, which will not fly with the VIR people since you'd be cheating the system

So either your options are, Get a NASA pass and sleep in your car in the paddock, or get a camping pass and sleep in a tent in the paddock (leaving your car in the lot) or camping with the non NASA people outside the paddock. MM'ers that need a camping pass, please post up here.

All students camping should get together and think about whose vehicle will be most useful to get in and out of the paddock and use that one. Ditch all the rest in the parking lot. (smart money says someone with a pickup or large vehicle should be chosen)

My company (local contractor) is talking about a tv Commercial in the future for our remodel department. We do mostly new construction and haven't needed to advertise but now branching back into Reno stuff. They are talking about a commercial but if you Google any of the things we specialize in or contractor, we're not even on the list of local businesses. Is there a way to buy onto the lists like advertising with Google or is there some algorithm that makes that list based off some internet magic. Seems like you'd just pay Google and get on the list but then how do you get to the top of the list. Figure someone here might have experience with it

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Hello MM! 

My name is Ethan Dillon and I am a freshman this year at JMU. I'm originally from Laguna Hills, CA and have lived in Northern VA for the past 10 years or so. I drive a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited on 35s at the moment and love to take it off-road. My previous projects have included a 2010 Genesis Coupe 6MT show car build with multiple sponsors and a 2015 WRX 6MT tuned on Ethanol peaking around 350whp/348wtq.

Could not be more excited to be apart of MM and I look forward to getting to know all of the members and alumni!

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My dad has always rolled his eyes at my old cars.  I distinctly remember telling my old man after graduating college that it was simply unnecessary, financially irresponsible, even, to own anything other than an old BMW.  I'm now nearing that old man status, he had a point, and this isn't necessarily financially responsible.  The bullet points are 2016 M3, sakhir orange over individual amaro brown extended leather, competition package, DCT.






After some nine years with the e46 and four with the e39, it's finally time for a change.  Simply owning and maintaining two vehicles (in addition to my wife's) is just not really something I'm interested in doing anymore - much less two 100k+ mile M cars.  They've honestly treated me really well and I'll defend them until the end, but the chance of having a problem is only going to increase, and I've found I don't enjoy turning wrenches as much as I used to.  I'm also really tired of juggling them around the driveway, which isn't really well suited to the situation.  I'm a little disappointed I won't be reppin' my favorite era of M cars, but this move should simply life quite a bit.  I think I'm at a point where I'll miss them fondly as opposed to regretfully. #smilebecauseithappened #livelaughlove

So I'd been thinking about it for a long time, and going down to one car - hopefully one I won't have to worry about much - would be a very welcome change in scenery. After months of lusting over a c6 z06/e39 M5 combination, I've come to my senses and whittled myself down from 16 cylinders to 6.

Granted there hasn't been a whole lot of time for much to go wrong, but F80/2 M3/4's, which I'm already sick of typing, seem to be pretty solid cars.  The old M's have their charm, but I think this'll make me every bit as happy for street and occasional autox use.

Finding one I liked took a nationwide search but it wasn't a long one - this car was shipped over from CA (after OH and TX car purchases, I ain't driving one back from CA).  I originally only wanted white on red or brown, but then this thing popped up. It's a little flashier than I'd usually go but you only go around once, what's wrong with a little flava?  Just tell my wife it's red and not orange. It's pretty loaded...missing I think only the rear sunshade? And no carbon brakes which would've been a dealbreaker anyway. On top of regular options, it looks like the PO went gangbusters in the M performance accessories catalog, as it has a decent e30's worth of CF bits.  Also it's horseshoe that ventilated seats weren't even an option.

Lastly, the transmission.  I can hardly believe it myself, but after driving both 6spd and DCT versions, I really felt the DCT suited the car better - something about the manual didn't feel right. DJ mentioned it's the ratios and that may be, but this motor just really seems to prefer not having such a large break between shifts. I've had nothing but 3 pedals for 15 years, so here's hoping the withdrawal isn't too strong. Plus now it'll be much easier to text while driving and my wife can ram that low splitter into curbs without having to worry about stalling it.

So! It's a Carmax car with a Carmax warranty (after the factory BMW one expires next summer) and a 7 day return period. I'm gonna take it to Delta V for a post purchase inspection and cross my fingers.

Mods/plans? Not much considering the warranty, aside from bagging it, fabric tow hooks, and tire stickers.  I originally disliked the wheels when I first saw the GTS/ZCP in pictures - why 2-dimensional wheels with fenders like that, you dickheads? - but I like them in person.  I imagine I'll swap to a 19 or something with more shape to it at some point - maybe all seasons for winter.  Other than that, there are apparently 243 combinations of settings between comfort/sport/sport+ in the throttle/suspension/steering/transmission departments, so that should keep me busy.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves - I hope to have a "first impression" reply and now a "had to take it back" one soon.

Justin what cool shit can be coded?

I was behind an X5M with a JMU sticker and a "baby stig in training" or something like that sticker. Didn't see an MM sticker though. Anyone on here?

Hi from the FoST.

Hey everyone! 

As many students saw from the first meetings, we made a new t-shirt design with a new shirt material for this year! (If you are all familiar with the NASA/VIR shirts that Laura was giving away, these are the same shirt type). Pictures attached below:




Please comment below what size, color shirt, and color text you'd like on the shirt. (Front and back text colors must be the same)

See here what color options there are for the shirt:

https://www.nextlevelapparel.com/mens-co...-7336.html


If you'd like a different type of apparel item like hoodies, long sleeve, crew neck, etc. please comment below and we can make arrangements. The brand we have used in the past is Gildan, and the brand we are switching to NextLevel for a better fit and softer material (much nicer). Feel free to look on their websites to see what selections there are. 

If you would like the classic design, looking at you old men, please specify and we can get this done as well.

Prices: 

$20 per shirt (NextLevel)


TBD Other items

PayPal: MadisonMotorsports@gmail.com
Venmo: Madison-Motorsports

Grab your Jeeps, trucks, dirt bikes, and 2003 Chrysler Sebrings because it’s time to hit the trails!

We’ll all meet up in the R1 parking lot at 10am before heading out (Across from dHub).

If you don’t have an off-road worthy car, don’t worry! There will be plenty of passenger seats (including 4 in my car) that are open, because we want you to come along! If you need a seat, please post below so we can keep track of who’s going to be in which car.

If you plan on coming, please post below and let us know if you have any open seats (and how many). If you plan on coming and need a ride, please post below.

See y’all on Saturday!

Skip to the end for purchase.

After months of research, test drives and back and forth negotiations; I have come to the conclusion there is no one best truck anymore.  They are all fantastic buys depending on what you want.

Why a new truck?  The diesel had done 8 years of hard duty, but now served as my only vehicle.  It didn't fit in the garage, my wife wouldn't drive it, and I knew at 200k miles it would start having more issues.  Since I now have 2 kids, the risk of getting stuck with a broken vehicle increased (it never left me stranded but it was inevitable).  I don't have time for a race car, a truck and a street car.  When I sold my fun street car, I didn't miss it.  So here is my attempt at getting a truck that could be fun, while still having all the practicality that I have loved in a truck.

The contenders:
Jeep Gladiator
Ram Rebel
Ford F150
Toyota Tundra
GMC Sierra AT4

Missing from this list is the Ridgeline, it has too low of a tow rating. 

Toyota Tundra Crewmax TRD Pro:


Shortest of the test drives.  I did not even leave the parking lot.  This truck is handsome from the outside; and the reliability aspect is the reason I went to test drive.  However, it stickered at $54k and had "faux" aluminum trim over every surface, call it the plastic fantastic.  Interface from 2009 and abysmal gas mileage from a not very special truck.  Still, reliability and a solid motor?  Mayyybe.... Until I sat in the seats.  These are easily the worst seats I have ever sat in my life.  Flat, unsupportive and ugly.  Since I have 2 herniated discs; instant knock out.

GMC Sierra AT4



GMC Fanboi right? No, my truck served me great but the GMT900s that came after were horrible.  I love the Duramax, but I wanted a smaller truck so a diesel was out.  I think this Sierra AT4 is gorgeous and I test drove the blue color.  Gorgeous.  I drove this right after the Tundra, so jumping into the interior did not make me gag.  It actually was simple, intuitive and decent.  Sea of black and I love that.  The orange in the seats is a little offputting, but the seats are comfortable and supportive.  The multi-function tailgate is not a gimmick, and is extremely useful. At $60k+ MSRP with the 6.2L; you can expect more than $10k off sticker.  This truck is a solid choice, but resale is going to be brutal.  Combine that with a huge interior refresh coming and spotty reliability on the 6.2L; I had to pass.

Jeep Gladiator


Admittedly this was my first choice when I looked at specs online. I really liked the idea of taking the roof off as I love convertibles. It is also small so it fits in the garage and around town easily.  The Rubicon ends up in the same price ($60k) but can be found for $54k.  Towing ability of 7700lbs, a rugged interior to deal with kids, and the awesome UConnect were huge pluses.  On the test drive I found a couple surprises.  With the roof on, its a really tight interior bordering on claustraphobic.  The roof is also bare fiberglass and you sit very closely to your passenger.  However, resale value is bound to be incredibly high. If you were to run this with the roof always off, this is a REALLY cool truck.   The likelihood of my wife letting me take the kids and or/her in it withe roof off is very low. I think I liked the idea more than the implementation.

Ram Rebel


The magazines rave about the new Ram.  I have always hated Dodge Rams (now just RAM), as I think they were always the 3rd choice of the big 3.  However I went to test drive the new Rebel with open eyes.  Great looks in Rebel trim (not a big fan of the chrome front ends of non-rebels) with a nice V8 and tons of tech features.  The Rebel comes with a multi-colored red interior that is too much red :gag:.  I did find that a 12A option added their 12" Uconnect and blacked out the seats.  This made the interior extremely impressive with beautiful gauges, a massive and useful center console since the shifter is on the dash; and that great panoramic roof.   Other cool features?  RAMBOX.  I would have specced mine with a Rambox no question.  With the rambox you have 4 feet of width still in the bed, and the Ramboxes providing basically trunk storage with automatic truck locks, lighting and even power plugs within the boxes.  Despite my random RAM hate, this truck ended up being a fairly close second.   
Pros: Good looks, good ride with the coil springs (no need to spec the air suspension if you wanted to save money), decent seats, good tech, and a price that came in substantially cheaper than my final choice.
Cons: FCA reliability and FCA service centers.  I also worried 5 years down the line how the "black plastic fantastic nose" treament is going to age and just look cheap.  Lastly that gorgeous black 12" Uconnect attracted dirt and fingerprints on my test drive alone.  I would be driven nuts by those smudges; and I cant imagine how dated it will look in 5 years.

Wait what?  Isn't only the Ford on the list?  Don't you hate them since they ride like dump trucks and have the worst seats known to man like sitting on concrete?  Yes.  So why isnt the F150 immediately off the list?  Didn't I also say I wanted special?  Yes, and after realizing I did not want a fun sporty 3rd car anymore; I wanted something that I could still have fun in.  What does Ford make that's practical for room, but also fun?

Ford Raptor


The Raptor ditches the stock Ford F150 suspension for active Fox shocks, curing the dump truck ride of an F150.  In 2019, they also introduced an option for the "blue accent interior package".  Blue? Ew, oh wait, these are Recaros!


  I sat in these seats and debated the merits of a blue interior with Jake, but man oh man these seats are comfortable to the Nth degree.  I also debated if I could really live with a twin turbo shitty sounding six in the Raptor.  Well after test-driving all the other trucks; I realized I didn't truly miss the sound in a truck. Shocker, yes to me too.  The amount of room in the SuperCrew Raptor sold me as well.  No other truck save the Ram came even close to the amount of room.  With 2 kids, a dog and always going on small adventures with guy friends; having the available room was a big plus.

I debated for a while about what to do.  This was more than I planned on spending, but I just had been given the deposit for my M3 race car, my diesel truck was sold and both got above what I initially had expected. I looked used and realized quickly for this vehicle it didn't make sense.  After lots of email chatter back and forth with about 12 dealerships, I found one that would do a 2019 order for a couple hundred below invoice.  Saving me more than $6k off MSRP where a lot of dealers though they were doing me "favors" not having a markup. So I went in and put my order on a 2019, since every in-stock Recaro specced car had the graphics package ($2k WHAT??!?!), and the ugly beadlock wheels ($2k).

802A Package
Blue Interior Accent Package (Recaros and CF package)
Twin Panel Moonroof
Rear heated seats

Two weeks later I get bad news. 
 1. Ford refused the build, I guess it was too late in their cycle for a 2019.  
2. 2020 Raptors wont be available till January 
3. Price would go up due to 802A now including the "tech package" and MSRP slightly jumping. 

I again hmmed and hawwed for a week and then decided if I was spending this money; I wanted exactly what I wanted.  I chose to wait and now have till January to get my truck.  However, this time without a truck has reaffirmed my decision.  I miss my truck far more than I miss any of my other vehicles, so spending the extra coin and time is worth it.  Did I need a fancy truck? No, but ya just gotta live every now and then.  Hoping this lasts me at least as long as my diesel truck did.  Is it the right truck for everyone? No, it hogs fuel; is massive in a parking lot and is flashy. It's interior is also slightly dated to the RAM; and the RAM kept creeping up when I had the setback of a 2020 order.  At least getting a new truck also includes a day at the Raptor Assault School!

TLDR, bad decisions were made, but hoping to have a lot of fun with this truck that also serves family duties well.

Hey everyone,

My name's Robert Lazar, and I'm a new MM member. I'm a freshman and INTA major from Haymarket, VA. I don't actually have a car at the moment, but I've been saving to buy one for the past two-ish years. Not sure what I'll eventually buy, but it'll probably be something from the 80s or 90s; I've daydreamt about everything from an XJ Cherokee to a C4 Corvette.

Although I don't own a car myself, here's my dad's 2016 Chevy Colorado that I've driven since I got my permit. Until I got here I probably used it more than he did: